You don't need to know anyone's name.

The $1 million claim on a $7 (or whatever) WSO is common sense, ignore it.

There must be comments related to this subject in over 100 threads here discussing pen-names and anonymity, Laurence? People have a surprisingly large variety of reasons for wanting to use pen-names to shield their name/identity. Like many full-time marketers here, I've always done that in every niche in which I do business. I only wish, with hindsight, I'd done the same with my forum membership here, as well (it would have saved my family and myself some unnecessary distress, if I'd had the foresight to do so).

It would probably never occur to me, seeing someone not disclosing their name in a marketing context, to wonder whether that was because they're "embarrassed".

@Alexa, I don't mean pen names. I am just surprised that people don't use any name at all when writing an ebook for example. Even if it's just a first name, which is what I do.
But it is interesting to hear other people's perspectives on it, especially as I am writing another one now.

I understand not using names in forums like this.

@Yukon, I am not talking about their money or what they claim.
I am simply talking about their name.

I wonder how many people EVEN TODAY don't realize that mark twain is not and never has been a name. It is steam boat lingo! It means the water is at twelve feet and safe for a steamboat. And NO, it has NEVER written a single word!

A guy named samuel clemens decided to write, liked steamboats, and used the term as a pen name.

As for me? A loose abreviation of a company name, and some other things I learned a few decades ago. I have been on forums or the like since the late 70s. I even ran a forum for a time. And THAT one had a name that strayed even FARTHER from this one.

Steve

The most important money making tool you could ever acquire is the brain you were born with. The more creative it is the more you'll succeed. Outside of that, making money is very simple. 99% of it is just common sense.

There are no brain replacements, and no money making method will never make up for your lapse in either intelligence and/or creativity.

Most people buy money making methods because they believe business online is trickery or magic (or there's a big secret - yeah that's a common one). Yet it's universally the same as business in any environment, you find a product or service and you find a market and you just clue the two together in a profitable way.

my name is nobody

I think the most reasonable explanation for that is in case one thing doesn't work out they can move on to the next one and noone will chase them with "Hey, you failed once, why are you doing it again" phrase.

I use to think pen names were less noble... but now I agree with Alexa... Its almost (well, make that "definitely") stupid to use your real name with all the mentally pubescent, irresponsible people out there on the internet who misuse, and misconstrue other peoples information with no conscious, or regard for the consequences that can result. Wish I would have had that foresight as well.

Vokco - could you possibly be any less relevant to the topic at hand?

I sell PLR ebooks. I don't know whether my name is on them or not. Once people get the book with rights, I would expect them to take my name off of it for their own purposes - and if they change anything in the book, of course, I prefer it that way since it is no longer representational of the work I did myself. There's no shame in not using my name - it's just not really functional to have it on there.